Dynamic crew configuration recommendations for emergency medical services

Publications Category :

Author(s): Setareh Darvishi, Laila Cure, Paul Misasi

Project Description : Emergency Medical Services (EMS) face uncertainty regarding how to staff ambulances most effectively. The standard practice requires a minimum of two crew members per ambulance. However, the optimal certification for each of these two crew members remains unresolved. Should both be paramedics (homogeneous crews), or is paramedic-EMT (heterogeneous crew) beneficial without increasing paramedic workload? We develop two mixed integer optimization models to enhance workload balance in EMS staffing in a dynamic manner. The initial plan recommends crew configurations that minimize the maximum workload of paramedics using forecasted, acuity-stratified call volumes. The adjusted plan adapts these recommendations when new information becomes available such as staff no-shows. The initial plan’s performance is benchmarked against current practice. The adjusted plan is compared with a baseline that retains initial configurations but closes the anticipated least-busy station (the one with the lowest forecasted demand) during shortages. Results show that the proposed approach significantly reduces maximum paramedic workload. The framework is evaluated using 9-1-1 dispatch data from Sedgwick County EMS.

Additional Informational : Presented at IISE Annual Conference & Expo 2026, Arlington, TX, May 16-19, 2026

© 2026 Kansas Health Science University. All Rights Reserved.
Accessibility Mode: Off
Accessibility Statement

Report

Harassment or bullying behavior
Contains mature or sensitive content
Contains misleading or false information
Contains abusive or derogatory content
Contains spam, fake content or potential malware

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

  • See blocked member's posts
  • Mention this member in posts
  • Invite this member to groups
  • Message this member
  • Add this member as a connection

Please note: This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

Report

You have already reported this .